Conectifai

In 2016, Etecsa – the only telephone company in Cuba – installed wifi routers in 18 public parks across the country. For many Cubans, this meant they were able to go online for the first time. This portrait of one wifi park in Havana shows how it has become a new kind of meeting place: every day crowds of people with smartphones, tablets and chairs turn up to cluster together around the wifi antennas, to a soundtrack of shouts of ‘conectifai!” meaning ‘connection’. In the meantime, a very Cuban type of commerce is also flourishing, with vendors selling internet cards, drinks and snacks, and shouting slogans such as ‘Pork crackling with wifi!’ Here, everyone has an opportunity to contact loved ones, explore social media, upload photos and find internet dates – very normal activities that reveal a rapidly changing Cuba Key credits Director and producer: Zoe Garcia Producer and Sound: Sheyla Pool Editor: Emmanuel Peña Executive producers for the Guardian: Charlie Phillips and Lindsay Poulton Sign up to our documentaries newsletter ► http://ift.tt/2feoDdN Subscribe to The Guardian ► http://ift.tt/16bR3Lu Support the Guardian ► http://ift.tt/2xBWIJe The Guardian ► http://ift.tt/1AFLGzy Playlists: Guardian documentaries ► http://bit.ly/GDNdocs Guardian VR ► http://bit.ly/GDNVR Guardian Features ► http://bit.ly/GDNfeatures Anywhere but Westminster ► http://bit.ly/ABWseries Anywhere but Washington ► http://bit.ly/ABWUSseries Owen Jones meets ► http://bit.ly/CorbynJones Guardian Animations & Explanations ►http://is.gd/explainers Guardian Investigations ► http://ift.tt/16bR6qK The Guardian's YouTube channels: Guardian News ► http://ift.tt/1J9JUwL Owen Jones talks ► http://bit.ly/subsowenjones Guardian Football ► http://ift.tt/1yECE17 Guardian Science and Tech ► http://ift.tt/16bR3Ly Guardian Culture ► http://ift.tt/16bR6H2